Wire-stretcher



No. -620 ,0l8. Patented Feb. 2|, I899. A A BOON WIRE STBETCHEB.

(Application filed Dec. 5, 1898.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT A. COON, OF HUTSONVILLE, ILLINOIS.

WlRE-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 620,018, dated February 21, 1899.

Application filed December 5, 1898. Serial No. 698 ,319. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT A. OooN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hutsonville, in the county of Crawford and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire-Stretchers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in wire-stretchers for tightening fence-wires to the proper tension preliminarily to securing the same to the fence-posts, and has for its object to provide a simple, durable, and efficient implement of the handle-jawclass embodying an improved form of shouldered jaw and a handle so constructed and arranged that the wire may be clamped from either side and drawn to stretch it in either direction and the device also held by the body of the operator, in order that the hands of the latter will be left free to hold and drive the staple.

With this and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the stretcher as preliminarily applied for stretching a fence-wire. Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof, showing the position of the parts when the stretching operation is completed. Fig. 3 is a side view of the stretcher. Fig. 4 is a detail view showing the parts arranged to clamp a wire to be stretched in the opposite direction to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the shouldered jaw detached. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the blank from which the shouldered jaw is made.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, wherein like reference-letters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, A represents the fence-posts of an ordinarily-constructed wire fence, between which the wires 11 are stretched and secured thereto by staples or other suitable fastening devices.

The improved stretcher for tightening the wires comprises in its construction a forked shouldered jaw or clutch member 0, adapted to engage the post, and a hand-lever D, by which the wire is clamped against the shoulder on said jaw and the stretcher operated to stretch the wire. The jaw is made from the thin-metal-plate blank 0, (shown in Fig. 6,) which is bent upon itself to form a folded'or doubled rear attaching portion d of maximum strength for the reception of a pivot pin or bolt 6. The extremities of the blank form the upper and lower arms f and f of the forked jaw, which are notched at their free ends to provide spurs g to engage the fenceposts, and the said upper arm is bent or oifset at its rear end to form a right-angled shoulder h, having a straight rear face h. The handle-lever D is pivoted near its inner end to the pin or bolt 6, and said inner end is widened to provide a clampin g-j aw 'i, adapted to clamp the fence-wire against one of the side edges of the said shoulder h, and formed with a straight clamping-face 'i, which when the lever is in its normal position or straightened out extends parallel with the straight face h of said shoulder. By this construction the wire may be inserted from either side of the stretcher between the shoulder on the jaw and clamping-face of the lever and said lever turned in either direction to clamp the wire between one of the corner edges of said face and the adjoining angular side edge of the shoulder. The corner edges of the clamping-face may be beveled, if desired, to obviate all liability of the wire being cut during the operation of stretching it.

In practice the stretcher is placed at right angles to the fence-post A to which the wire is to be secured, with the spurs on the jaw impinging against the face of the post. The lever is then placed in its normal position in line with the jaw and the wire I) inserted between its clamping-face and the jaw-shoulder. By now moving the lever in the direction in which the wire is to be stretched, the wire will be clamped, and then by continuing the movement the stretcher may be swung around on the post as a fulcrum until the jaw engages the side of the post and the lever stands on the same line as the wire, whereupon the wire will be tightened to the proper tension. The parts may then be held in this position by the body of the operator, so that the hands will be free to hold and drive the fastening-staple. During the operation of pulling the stretcher around on the post the wire is drawn on a line between the arms of the forked jaw, and the pulling strain is thus transmitted in a direct central line to the doubled or folded attaching portion of said jaw and lever and taken oif the weaker arms and pivot pin or bolt.

Figs. 1 and 2 show the operation of the parts in stretching a wire from right to left; but it will be seen by reference to Fig. 4 that the wire may be clamped equally as well from the opposite side of the stretcher and stretched from left to right in the manner above described. The jaw is forked, so that it will conveniently straddle any knots that may be on the post in the path of movement of the stretcher and also alford a more stable and rigid bearing on the post and prevent slipping or Wabbling of the stretcher.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that the invention provides a simple, cheap, and efficient stretcher which can be employed for tightening the wire in either direction and held so that the staple may be convenientlydriven and which embodies desirable features due to its peculiar construction alone.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. A wire-stretcher comprising in its construction a forked clutch jaw ormemberhaving an attaching portion at its rear and arms arranged one above the other and provided at their free ends with spurs, one of said arms being bent to form a straight shoulder at its junction with said attaching portion, and a handle-lever pivoted thereto and provided with a straight clamping-face, whereby the wire may be inserted from either side and clamped against either of the corner edges of said shoulder.

2. A wire-stretcher, comprising a forked jaw or clutch member made from a single piece of metal doubled upon itself to form an attaching portion and extended therefrom to form arms arranged one above the other, the upper arm being offset at its rear end to form a straight shoulder, and a handle-lever pivoted near its inner end to said attaching portion and having said end widened to form a clamp having a straight edge normally standing parallel with the straight face of said shoulder, whereby the wire may be inserted from either side and clamped against either of the corner edges of said shoulder.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT A. COON.

Witnesses:

K. M. Cox, JOHN CoLLIrLownR. 

